What is a Continental Breakfast?

Yes, they really shouldn't use the name "Continental" when the Motel/Hotel offers as much food as a full blown breakfast. Meaning coffee, juice, hot and cold cereals, fruit, pastries, bagels or muffins, eggs, bacon, sausage, waffles. You don't need any more than this for a complete breakfast. If you do, you have an eating disorder.

Continental in the past meant coffee or juice and either toast , pastry, muffin or bagel -- one or the other. Somehow, they added more food items but kept the name Continental. So I always call the place directly and ask what's included in their breakfast, no matter what name they use.

To the people complaining about others eating too much food: If you're going to be sitting on a bus all day and not eating until 3 in the afternoon, you're going to grab a larger portion of biscuits and gravy and a second piece of toast.

I stayed at a hotel once that offered as its continental breakfast one cinnamon roll (you weren't allowed more than one per person) and coffee.

As for being "greedy", when you're on the run and want to do a lot of things that day, you may end up skipping or delaying a later meal time so wanting a big breakfast is not out of the question.

The funny thing is, that on the continent (assuming that means the western European countries) many hotels offer a breakfast which is included in the room fee and consists of coffee/tea, juice, different kinds of bread (varies with the country), cheese, sausage, spreads, egg (boiled as well as scrambled), ham, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, cereals, sweets, etc.

By the way, donuts aren't continental at all. Being continental myself, I experience the "continental breakfast" as being very strange.

I suppose it depends on the continent you are on, but continental breakfast originally meant coffee and pastries or breads. Because of competition for hotel rooms, properties are consistently trying to outdo each other. But it's breakfast, not continental breakfast anymore.

It varies by the hotel chain. Parts of the Choice network offer the hot breakfasts and call it continental, while other part of the chain are not required to offer anything for breakfast at all.

I manage a smaller branded hotel. We customize the breakfast to the price being paid. During the slower months when the business is down, I offer toast, muffins, danishes, honey buns, cereal, etc. But for major events when we rent for 200 per night, they have more options, like bagels, eggs, etc.

*Raises eyebrow.* It's sad when a breakfast menu turns political. No matter what administration or political affiliation, I can't imagine the breakfast that is being served at a hotel has anything to do with the White House.

If you're going to criticize the current administration then criticize them for things they've actually done. Hotel breakfast offerings as well as everything else a hotel does or does not do boils down to profit - period.

Blame it on the United States federal government and Michelle Obama's obsession with telling us what we can and can't eat. Hotels couldn't serve bacon and eggs if they wanted to, because Michelle Obama wants to control what we eat. Oh well, 2012 is right around the corner!

A continental breakfast for no charge is a minor convenience offered by most economy priced hotels today. It was never intended to be confused with a full hot breakfast that people actually pay for at a restaurant. If a hotel advertises a continental breakfast, people should not be disappointed if they aren't served bacon and eggs. Most hotels can't afford to offer a free full breakfast because people are just too greedy. Ever see anyone at a salad bar or buffet without food piled high on their plate?

A hotel is not a free, all you can eat restaurant, but some people think it should be after they shop around to save $10 off the room. If you expect to have an all you can eat buffet for breakfast, then don't expect to get the lowest priced room in town. Nothing is really free.

@Anon115058: It's something called cultural differences. Most Americans do not eat boiled eggs for breakfast. They eat them scrambled, fried, poached or in something else, but rarely boiled. I never eat boiled eggs if I can help it. I don't like them. Many Americans (including me) also appreciate fresh fruit and/or muffins for breakfast.

When I was in Aruba, our hotel offered a variety of items for breakfast, in keeping with the visitors they have from all over the world. There was a hot buffet, cold meats and cheeses, muesli, various breads, and an omelette station, as well as fruit.

I am a Southerner, but I don't expect to find biscuits (the hot bread) everywhere when I am not in the South. That's OK. Part of the travel experience for me is to discover new foods and ways of living that I have not seen before.

I do, however, know that in France, a continental breakfast often consists of a croissant, butter, jam and a hot beverage -- and that's it.

Just because you wouldn't eat it for breakfast doesn't mean others don't enjoy it. I don't like lox and cream cheese on bagels for breakfast, but it's a common meal in New York. And that's as it should be.

Enjoy what's going on around you and the travel experience.

What does a muffin have to do with a continental breakfast? What does a continental breakfast served in USA have to do with a real continental breakfast? - nothing!

I do not understand why a continental breakfast is considered to include only coffee/tea, fruit and croissant in USA (and even muffins). In Europe we are used to eating (and it is always available in hotels) for breakfast: bread/toast/croissant, ham, salami, cheese, marmalade, boiled egg, bagels, pastries, cakes, cookies, yogurt, milk, coffee, juice, tea, oatmeal, cereal ... and you got as much as you wish.

Here, in the Washington in hotel Madera, for the continental breakfast i got to choose between tea and coffee, croissant and muffin, and I got fruit. Crazy combination. The other kinds of breakfast (I suppose American?) contained always egg in any kind but boiled.

The two hotels I stayed in Italy this summer had both excellent breakfast offers. The Hilton hotel in Rome had such a wide variety of foods that could please almost any guest. They even included oatmeal, by request, my favorite breakfast food.

Another hotel in southern Italy, near Sorento had similarly generous breakfast foods. It is really nice to get up in the morning and have a good breakfast waiting for you.

The last time i stayed at a hotel which was about two months ago in new jersey they served omelets, bagels, cereal, bacon, ham, coffee, juice, granola bars and fruits and yogurt. i was quite surprised. i would have thought it would have been cereal and milk and juice but it was much better.

I'm going to Kissimmee, florida this upcoming friday and I'm praying and hoping to God that the hotel i will be staying at for two weeks will come with the same friendly and hospitable service that the Howard johnson hotel had. Hope this comment helped or at least give you an idea of which hotel is clean affordable and has a scrumptious choice of cuisine God bless you all! Janny

There is also the option to use a toaster, microwave, and not forgetting fruits: apples, bananas, oranges (in Florida), etc.

I've found that, too - the "continental breakfast" is getting fancier. The last hotel I stayed at that had a free continental breakfast had an omelet chef for a couple hours. Otherwise it was just cereal and muffins, and scrambled eggs in a pan, buffet style. I'll definitely remember that when I need to stay in a hotel again, though!

Some hotels offer a bit more substantial continental breakfast, where they might include such things as smoked salmon, hard boiled eggs, a variety of cheeses and cold cuts. Seasonal fresh fruit might also be included, and all of that can make for a well rounded breakfast.